Package and closure therefor



Oct. 3, 1939. e. w. KNAPP 2,175,058

PACKAGE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed May 2, 1956 Patented Oct. 3, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE memes AND CLOSURE rnnrmroa ware ApplicationMay 2, 1936, Serial No. 77,494

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the packaging of stacked articles, and whilenot limited thereto, has been more particularly designed for thepackaging of disk-like articles such as the fiat cardboard diskscommonly employed, either by themselves or in connection with otherparts, for closing milk and cream bottles.

Heretofore such articles have commonly been packaged in stacked relationin cardboard tubes,

one end of such a tube usually being flanged over to provide a seat forthe first disk to be inserted, and the other end capped over and sealedafter the last disk has been inserted.

When ready for-use the capped end of the 1 tube has commonly beenremoved as by cutting off. This shortens the tube so that even if itwere carefully handled, it would not be suitable for re-use, since itwould not be able to carry the same number of caps which it containedoriginally, and since the tube has little salvage value as paper stock,it has been usual practice to throw it away after a single use. The costof the tube, however, represents a considerable proportion of the costof the complete package.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is

to provide a simple and inexpensive retainer for the top end of thestack which will permit the ready securing or release of the packagedarticles without cutting or otherwise damaging the 80 tube, so that itcan be re-used satisfactorily. Because of this capacity for re-use thetube can be made of better material than heretofore commonly employed,or it can be reinforced so that it is better able to withstand shipmentand II handling, additional first cost of the tube being amply justifiedby its much longer useful life.

In accordance with this invention, therefore, the stack of articles issecured within the tube by an easily removable retainer, which, however,

do securely holds the stack when in position. A cap may then be placedover the open end of the tube, and if desired, one may be placed overthe lower end as well. The retainer takes the thrust of the tubecontents: relieving the cap of this 6 duty, so that a simplefrictionally held cap at the top is all that is required since itsfunction is only to protect the top of the stack from entry of foreignmatter and to prevent accidental removal of the retainer, the in-turnedledge of the 50 bottom of the tube also relieving the cap at the lowerend from any pressure from the tube contents. This retainer may be,conveniently, a spring clip or latch which may engage the tube when instack-retaining position.

I For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a spring clip which may be employed to secure the stack in position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tube prepared to receive the clipshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in centralvertical section showing the filled tube and the clip about to be placedin posi- 10 tion therein.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the clip in positionand the package ready for shipment.

Figure 5 is a top plan of the package of Figure 16 4, but with the topcap removed.

Referring to the drawing, at I is shown a tube of cardboard or the likewhich may have one end in-turned as at 2 (see Figure 3) to form ashoulder against which the lowest article of a 20 stack, such as disks3, may be engaged, so as to prevent the stack of articles from escapingfrom the tube at this end. Somewhat inwardly from the opposite, or whatmay be termed the upper end of the tube is shown as provided with 25means with which may be engaged an articleretaining element. As shownthis means on the tube comprises the oppositely disposed perforations 5.The tube is filled up with the disks or other articles substantially tothe level of the top 80 of these perforations, there being sufficientresiliency of the material of the articles to permit them to be pressedtogether enough to admit of a retainer being sprung into positionthereupon and engaged through the perforations 5. A re- :5 tainer 6suitable for this purpose is shown detached in Figure 1. As shown itcomprises a resilient strip of metal having a portion intermediate itsends formed up into a normally somewhat open loop I. From the ends ofthis loop extend the fiat portions 8 which are narrowed toward theirends to form at each a pair of arcuate shoulders 9 on either side of anarrow extension ID. The extremity of this extension is bent laterallyof its thickness, and is shown upwardly bent as at II. This retainer maybe grasped between the fingers at the loop portion 1 and pressedtogether from the full line position shown in Figure 3 to the dottedline position. In the dotted line position, the portions 8 are brought60 into substantially the same plane, and the extremities II are broughttogether sufliciently so that the retainer may be inserted into theupper end of the tube, pressed against the top article 3 therein, andthen allowed to expand to permit the portions ill and 9 to projectthrough the perforations I, as far as is permitted by the engagement ofthe arcuate edges 8 with the inner wall of the tube. The retainer thenbeing released, the parts assume the position shown in Figure 4 with thearticles pressing upwardly on the retainer and pressing the extremitiesll against the outer wall of the tube in overlapping relation thereto.The articles are thus retained firmly within the tube, but may bereleased readiiy by merely engaging the loop portion 1 of the retainerbetween the fingers, and squeezing it together and pressing downwardlyso as to lower the extremities ll and'to permit them to be drawninwardly through the perforations 5 the extremities ii being shorterthan the diameter of the perforations. Then while the retainer is heldretracted, it may be removed from the tube. The tube may then be appliedin inverted position to any suitable machine for feeding the articlesone by one from the open end of the tube to the point of use.

In order to prevent entry of foreign matter into the tube duringshipment or storage or otherwise, the tube ends may be enclosed byfriction caps such as l3 and H, as shown in Figure 4. Since neither ofthese caps takes any thrust from the packaged articles, this thrustbeing taken by the in-turned portion at the lower end of the tube, andby the spring retainer in engagement with the tube walls at its upperend, no special fastening of these end caps is required and they can bemerely held frictionally in position, if desired. By reason of the factthat no cutting of the tubes is required to free the articles therein,the tubes can be used repeatedly, and in order to make them moreserviceable than the relatively cheap tubes formerly usually employed,they may be made of a higher grade material, and if desired, they may bereinforced, more particularly at their upper end portions, where theperforations 5 are positioned. One method of so reinforcing the tube isto impregnate it with a stiflening and hardening compound, such, forexample, as a hot wax, preferably one having as one ingredient a hardwax of the nature of carnauba or montan, or,-if desired, the upper endportion of the tube may be reinforced with a metal ferrule or otherreinforcing member such as I! shown in Figure 3. Such reinforcementshould extend somewhat betl low the perforations i in order to be mosteffecive.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of this invention, itshould be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthis invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination, a tube having oppositely disposed perforations adjacentto one end, and a closure clip comprising a resilient strip memberhaving an intermediate normally open loop closeable by pressure exertedagainst opposite sides thereof and having outwardly extending endportions retractible by such closing pressure sufllciently to permitinsertion of said clip into said tube, said ends having portionsnarrower than said perforation which may be projected outwardlytherethrough on release of such loop closing pressure after said cliphas been inserted in said tube, the extremities of said ends being benttoward parallelism with the axis of said tube to overlap the outer wallof said tube when said ends have been so projected and said clip hasbeen pressed toward said tube end as by resilience of material enclosedby said tube, said clip ends being provided with shoulders inwardly ofsaid narrow portions to engage with the inner wall of said tube andlimit the outward spring of said clip.

GORDON W. KNAPP.

